Coupling-centering mechanism



. BUHOUP.

COUPLING GENTERING MECHANISIVI.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3 1920.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. C. BUHOUP.

couPLlANG CENTERING MECH/mism.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3| 1920.

i UNl HARRY C. BUHOUIP, OF CHICAGO, :[LLINOES, ASSIGNR TG THE ll/ICCONVJAY dz: TURLEY MPANY, Gli' PITSB'URGH, PENNSYLVANIA, il CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

-lit.art-zented July 6, i920..

Application filed March 3. 1920. Serial No. 363.002.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, HARRY C. BUHOUP, a citizen of the United States residing at Chicago, in the county of @ook and State others skilled in the art to which it apper` tains to make and use the same.

ll/ly invention relates to the construction of coupler centering mechanism for car couplers of the type wherein the coupler head and stem are pivotally connected and the v coupler as a whole is mounted upon the `ear in a` mannerpermitting it to swing laterallwhen the y car passes around a curve inthe track. The principal object of the invention is to provide simple and reliable means for centering` the coupler as a whole and which, within the present limits of space available on passenger cars, are especially well adapted for employment where the pivotedcoupler head has a comparatively great extension rearwardly from the pulling face of its knuckle. rlhis object is accomplished by effecting particular combinations of the stem centering mechanism with the coupler stein, the coupler head and the devices by which the latter is pivotally connected to the stem and iscentralized with respect thereto, and by so constructing the several elements of the mechanism that their compact combination may be effected in a practical manner.

ln the drawings illustrating` the invention, the scope whereof is pointed `out in the claims, v

Figure l is a plan view of a car coupler and cooperating coupler centering mechanism embodying' my invention, showing also a portion of the sills of a car, the forward end of the coupler head and a portion of the coupler stem being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a view, partlyin side elevation and partly in vertical central section, of the constructionillustrated in Fig. lf

Fig. 3 is a section on the line S, Fig. 2. Fig; 4 is a sectionon the line lr-a, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section of a portion of the coupler stem and the devices for pivotally thereto.

connecting the coupler head C lhe stem l 4of the coupler is provided adjacent its rear end with an opening 2 which is adapted to receive the usual tail pin for attaching the yoke of the draft rigging to the coupler. The head 3 of the coupler is secured to the forward end of the coupler stem by means of a pivot pin a which passes through corresponding pivot pin openings in the head and stem. By this construction the coupler as a whole is enabled to swing laterally and, in addition, the coupler head 3 may swing with relation to the stem.

lll/leans are provided for normally centering the coupler head with respect to the coupler stem and also for centralizing the coupler stem l independently of the relative positions of the head and stem. The means employed 'for centering the head upon the stem preferably consist of a centering frame 5 which is mounted upon the coupler stem l in such manner that it may slide back and forth thereon, a spring 6 being interposed between the rear end of the frame 5 and the coupler stem. rllhis centering frame may conveniently be composed of two counterpart members or halves which are rigidly secured to each other by means of rivets 7, the forward portion of the coupler stem being bifurcated to receive said frame. The lateral faces 8 of the forward portion of the centering frame orslide preferably converge, as shown in the drawings, to allow the coupler stem l to have a wide range of swinging movement and at the same time to afford an extended bearing for contact with the sills 9 of the car when the coupler is displaced laterally to its eXtreme limit. ln order to allow the coupler stem to be controlled by a centering devicewpermitting ei:- tended lateral displacement, as well as to prevent the operation of the centering slide 5 from affecting the devices for centering the coupler stem l, the laterally projecting forward portions 8 of the head centering slide are of somewhat less height than the coupler stem so as to permit the stem centering mechanism to engage opposite sides of the coupler stem below the said slide.

To coperate with the sliding frame 5 and compel. its rearward movement when the coupler head 3 swings in either direction upon the pivot pin 4, the said head is preferably provided on each side with vertically Vio ' pleiliead is relieved from the force caus- Ving its lateral displacement from normal' extending shoulders or abutinents which, when the coupler head 3 is centralized with respect togthe coupler stein 1, respectively contact the forward endsv of the sliding frame 5 vonopposite sides of the pivot pin 4.

Y When the Vcoupler head swings laterally from its'normal position on the kpivot pin V4 one of the shoulders 10 presses against the end ofthe slide 5 and causes it to retreat rearwardly on the coupler stem, thus compressing the spring 6. As soon as the couposition, the expansion of the spring 6 forces Vthe centering slide forwardly, 'thus Vrestoring '*thecoupler head 3 to centralized position. 1 If ldesired the inner end of the rearwardly extending projection 11 of the coupler head. may be slotted or recessed, as at 12, so as to straddle-a post or tie bar 13 that is preferably employed for integrally uniting the upper and lower arms of the coupler stein 1 a short distance to the rear of the pivot pin 4.

The carry iron 14 for supporting the coupler head and coupler stein is preferably located well toward the forward end of the coupler stein so as to reduce the tilting effect on the coupler due to the overhanging weight ofthe coupler head 3. For this purpose the forward end of the carry iron is preferably recessed at its center, as at 15,'

to affordy clearance permitting the downward removal of the pivot pin 4 when the parts VareV in normal position, the carry iron thereby being enabled to be positioned closelyv adjacentl to said pivot pin. rhe carryviron is formed with a plurality of alined transversely extending slots 1G lying upon opposite Vsides of the bar or web 17 with which the carry iron is provided at its center. The web v17 affords a large wearing area for contacting the coupler stem when ythe coupler moves longitudinally in draft or inbufling Vin the longitudinal axis of the ear, such movements being these to which the coupler is' mainly subjected in service. In' addition to performing the function just Yreferred to, the central web 17 of the carry iron serves as a stop to limit the movement of theinactiveone ofthe follower members ably out'ofvertical alinement with the upper ends, are slidably mounted upon a transversely extending stationary guide bar or rod 2O mounted upon the carry iron 14, and may be conveniently secured in position by means of cotters 21 passing through the rod. Springs 22 which are respectively interposed between the carry iron 14 and the lower ends of the separable followers 18, serve normally to maintain said followers in a position corresponding to the centralized position of the coupler stem 1. rlhe springs 22 are mounted upon the rod and within them und likewise mounted upon said rod are slidable sleeves or thimbles 23 serving to center the springs and also to limit the extent of their compression and thereby prevent them from being damaged by being compressed solid. The stem centering members which are mounted upon the carry iron, that is to say, the follower members 18, the guide rod 20 and the springs 22, are out of vertical alinement with the normal position of the pivot pin 4 and to the rear thereof, thus affording clearance permitting said pivot pin to be removed downwardly when the coupler stem 1 and coupler head 8 are brought to normal position so as to position the pivot pin 4 in alinement with the recess 15 in the forward face of the carry iron.

' Accidental movement of the pivot pin 4 when the coupler is in normal central position is prevented by a locking bar 24 which is slidably mounted on the coupler stem 1 and engagingly overlaps said carry iron and the pivot pin. The bar 24 may be formed with downwardly tapering sides and is mounted in a correspondingly shaped groove or channel 25 formed in the lower face of the coupler stem 1. rlhe groove 26 in the lower end of the pivot pin for receiving the forward kend of the locking bar 24 is preferably also corespondingly shaped, the pivot pin thus being prevented from accidentally moving upward. As a means for maintaining the bar 24 in supporting relation to the pivot pin 4 it is preferred to cmploy a gravity lock 27 which may be formed as va vertically movable cylinder which normally projects into a correspondingly shaped recess 28 in the upper surface of the locking bar 24 and into a downwardly opening pocket 29 formed in the under surface of the coupler stem. rlhe pocket 29 is of suflicient height to permit the locking member 27 to be moved into position allowing the part 24 to be slid rearwardly on the coupler stem, thus retracting its forward end from beneath the pivot pin 4. As a means for releasing the locking bar 24 from its lock 27 it is preferred to provide said bar with an opening 30 through which a rod, bolt or convenient instrument may be inserted for moving the lock 27 to unlocked position. It will be seen that the means employed for preventing downward displaceopposite sides of said stem below said slid-` nient of the pivot pin a in. no wise interferes with the mechanism for centering the coupler stem or the mechanism for centering the head 3 of the coupler with respect to the stem and that, when the coupler as a whole swings laterally to either side of its central position said means maintains the pivot pm i in a position allowing it to clear the carry iron 14.

` The operation of the mechanism for centering the coupler head 3 with respect to the coupler stern l has been heretofore described. When the coupler stem swings laterally it causes a corresponding displacement of one or the other of the follower members 18, accordingly as the coupler moves to one side or the other of its normal position in the longitudinal axis of the car. rl`he follower 18 upon being moved laterallyr compresses the spring 22 which is interposed between it and the carry iron 14:. When the force which causes the displacement of the coupler from its normal position is withdrawn the spring 22 expands and forces the follower' member 18 upon which it bears to return to normal position, thereby also re storing the coupler stem l to centralized position. l claim l. ln mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a coupler stem that is adapted to be pivotally connected to a car, of a coupler head, means for pivotally connecting said head and stem, means slidably mounted on said stem for centering.. said head with respect to said stem, and means engaging opposite sides of said stem beneath said slidably mounted means for centering said stem with respect to the car.

2. In mechanism of the character indi cated, the combination with a coupler stem that is adapted to be pivotally connected to a car, of a coupler head, means for pivotally connecting said head and stem, means engaging said head and slidablycmounted on said stem for centering said head with respect to said stem, and means engaging the ably mounted means for centering said stem with respect to said car.

3. lnmechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a coupler stein that is adapted to be pivotally connected to a car, of a coupler head, a downwardly removable pivot pin for pivotally connecting said head and stem, means for centering said stem with respect to the car, means for centering said head with respect to said stem, a carry-iron for supporting` said head and stem adjacent said pivot pin, and means `slidably mounted on said stem and overi means for centering said stem with respect to the car involving a plurality of separable follower members mounted on said carryiron and adapted to engage opposite sides of said stem and springs acting upon said' followers, and means slidably mounted on said stem and extending between said followers and overlapping said carry-iron and pivot pin for preventing dimfnward displacement of said pivot pin when the said stem is brought to a centralized position by said stem centering means.

5. lin mechanism of the character indi cated, the combination with a coupler stem that is adapted to be pivotaily connected to a car, of a coupler head, a downwardly removable pivot pin for pivotally connecting said head and stem, means for centering said head with respect to said stem, a carryiron, means slidably mounted on s id stem and overlapping said carry-iron and pivot pin for preventing downward displacement of said pivot pin, and means for centering said stem with respect to the car, said last named means including a plurality of springs mounted on said carry-iron and extending transversely of said stem out of vertical alinement with said pivot pin when the parts are in normal position, and a plurality of separable followers interijiosed between said springs and adapted to engage opposite sides of said stem.

ln testimonyV whereof l affix my si gnature.

HARRY C. BUHOUP. 

